1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote site managing system which centrally and remotely monitors the state of PC/server equipment such as general-purpose personal computers (PCs) and server computers and the like that have been connected via a computer network for example, and peripheral equipment (devices) with dedicated functions, particularly those with specialized input/output functions, such as printers, photocopiers, scanners, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been monitoring/managing systems for collecting operating information, error information, log information, etc., regarding equipment in offices, within the office. There have also been systems which collect such information collected in the office and monitored/managed at a center server externally set up or and connected via a network.
However, such monitoring/managing systems have been either systems which monitor and manage only PC/server systems, i.e., general-purpose computers, or systems which monitor and manage only device systems such as printers and photocopiers.
The reason that general-use computers and devices have been thus managed separately is that the procedures for managing general-purpose computers and devices are completely different. That is, with regard to managing general-use computers, it is necessary to make a program which carries out desired functions according to computer environments such as operating systems or the like and execute the program on the computers to be managed, but with regard to managing peripheral devices, it has been almost impossible with peripheral device systems to add on or exchange functions.
In addition, in the event of managing peripheral devices, there have been no standard data formats by which the monitor/managing system can communicate with the peripheral devices, nor standard procedures (protocols) for exchanging. Therefore, management procedures corresponding to each individual peripheral device must be developed, with each peripheral device being connected to the managing site and managed independently.
Thus, the managing system for devices has been incompatible with that for PCs and server computers, and accordingly these have existed as entirely separate systems.
On the other hand, as peripheral devices and PC/server computer systems have come to be used extensively in office environments, there has been greater expectation for maintenance services comprehensively monitoring and managing both the peripheral devices and computer systems.
However, with conventional methods, a maintenance service company (administration site) must provide a customer office with two monitor/managing systems, one for devices and another for PC/server computers, collect the information for both systems through separate lines, and monitor and manage the systems independently. Accordingly, the maintenance service companies have had the problems of complexity in management and high costs in operating and maintaining the systems.